Felipe Samaniego, M.D. 1983, Harvard Medical School The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma Contact Information

Research Interests:

• Transformation mechanism in viral related cancers
• Identification of regulators of death receptors Fas and TRAIL to enhance cancer therapy

We have characterize human herpesvirus 8 protein and their regulation of apoptosis. Human herpesvirus expresses K1 a protein that binds and inhibits Fas. We showed expression of K1 in transgenic mice and transfected mice protects the mice of apoptosis. We have identified Fas associated protein CD74 also binds and blocks apoptosis. The expression of CD74 also protects the mice from the lethal effects of Fas death receptor activation.

A student working in our laboratory will carry out experiments in regulation of  cell apoptosis. The student will have cell and animal models to use in his or her research project.  Our laboratory is locate in South Campus Research Building, where numerous labs focus on lymphoma, myeloma, immunology of tumor and virus related cancers. This rich research environment has the talent and resource to most basic and translational research projects.

Selected Publications:

Wang M, Zhang L, Han X, Yang J, Qian J, Hong S, Samaniego F, Romaguera J, Yi Q (2007) Atiprimod inhibits the growth of mantle cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo and induces apoptosis via activating the mitochondrial pathways. Blood 109(12):54455-62.

Dang NH, Pro B, Hagemeister FB, Samaniego F, Jones D, Samuels BI, Rodriguez MA, Goy A, Romaguera JE, McLaughlin P, Tong AT, Turturro F, Walker PL, Fayad L (2007) Phase II trial for denileukin diftitox for relapsed/refractory T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 136:439-47.

Wang S, Wang S, Maeng H, Young DP, Prakash O, Fayad LE, Younes A, Samaniego F (2007) K1 protein of human herpesvirus 8 suppresses lymphoma cell Fas-mediated apoptosis. Blood 109:2174-82.

Berkova Z, Wang S, Wang S, Maeng H, Wise JF, Hawke DH, Champbell M, Kwak LW, Samaniego F (2008) CD74 associated with Fas and inhibits Fas-mediated apoptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 99th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2008, Apr 13, San Diego, CA: AACR, Abstract nr 819.

Additional Publications

Program Affiliation:

Program in Virology and Gene Therapy